Let the Sun Fall Down
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Takes place at the end of "Fool for Love," Spike makes a horrible mistake and has to deal with the consequences of turning the woman he loves into the one thing she hates the most.
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place at the end of **_**Fool for Love**_**, but things go very AU. No Harmony, Riley, Joyce isn't sick, and Buffy also found out about Glory sooner than she did in canon. It's something I wrote to cure boredom and it ended up being longer than I planned. I told myself that I was done writing multi-chapter stories, but the muse has a mind of its own. It's still not that long, only about 9 chapters. This is mostly fluff with some angst thrown in. I know it might not seem that way with how it starts out, but there is a method to my madness, and it just wouldn't be Spuffy without some drama. Anyway, for anyone who's interested, I hope you like it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"Beneath her, am I? I'll bloody show her, bitch will finally be a footnote in history."

He cocked his rifle, thinking about the look on Buffy's face when he showed up at her house with the weapon. A house that held her mother and sister, a woman who had been nothing but kind to him, and the Nibblet was the only one in the Slayer's little group who looked at him like he was worth something. And Buffy, even though he was pissed at her for what she said, he still loved her just as much and could never think about pulling the trigger. "What the fuck am I doing?" Spike didn't give much thought to his actions, nor did he register the sound of the crypt door opening as he flung the rifle away, shielding his head when it went off. "Bloody smart, you wanker, what kind of moron throws a loaded gun?" he asked himself, noticing a sudden scent of blood in the air. It was familiar blood. Slayer. "Oh no, fuck, no," Spike claimed in a panic, running over to the doorway to see Buffy lying there motionless, blood soaking through her shirt where she was hit by a stray bullet.

"Buffy!" he yelled, picking her up as he cradled her against his chest. She wasn't moving, but he could still pick up a faint heartbeat. She didn't have much time left and he knew that she would never make it to the hospital. "Oh, love, I'm so sorry. You have to stay with me, okay? You can't let that greedy bitch death win; it's not your time yet. I don't care what I said at the Bronze, you hear me? You have to come back for your mum and the bit, they need you. Please, Buffy, don't do this." He was openly crying now at the thought of losing her, this was all his bloody fault.

Spike pulled her closer, wiping his eyes of the tears that he shed. "I'm sorry about this, sweetheart. I know it will just make you hate me more, but I can't be without you." He bit into his wrist, holding the bloody gash over her mouth and hoping she would take the red liquid inside before time ran out. "You have to drink, pet; I know you can do it." Spike was about to give up until he felt her lips suck on the wound, sighing in relief as he ran his fingers through her hair. "There you go, just like that. It'll all be over soon." He just prayed that when she awoke, she wouldn't stake him for what he did.

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><p>It's been two days; Spike knew her family and friends would be missing her. They came by to see if he knew where she was, but he had to lie. He wasn't ready for them to know what he did yet. Spike knew that once the truth came out, everyone would be lining up to kill him. Buffy was the Slayer, and he turned her into the one thing she hated the most. There would be no coming back from that.<p>

He broke out of his reverie when she started to stir; it was hard to imagine that she was now undead. She looked beautiful, so full of life, but her face was now full of ridges, yellow eyes staring at him instead of the green he was so used to. "Hello, cutie," he said to hopefully break some of the tension.

Buffy glanced around at her surroundings with new eyes, gasping as she touched her face, pricking her finger on a fang in the process. "Oh, God, what did you do to me?"

"I'm sorry, Buffy, I didn't have another choice. You were dying."

"Why couldn't you just let me die?" she cried out, jumping off his bed. "How could you do this? Do you hate me that much?"

He felt tears in his eyes at the look of anguish on her face, noticing that she reverted back to her human guise without even realizing it. "No, I was selfish, only thinking of myself. I just couldn't lose you. I'm so bloody sorry, Buffy, I never wanted this for you, but at the time I thought it would have been better than the alternative. This way you're still here, it won't be so bad. I'll teach you everything you need to know about being a vampire; you can still see your mates and family. Nothing has to change, except for your diet," he finished to hopefully lighten the mood.

She shook her head, tears clouding her vision. "Everything will change; I can't be around my family ever again. My friends will hate me; they'll try to kill me just to stop me from killing someone else." As soon as she said that, she felt that something was off. "Why don't I have an urge to kill anyone?"

"Because you still have your soul, Slayers keep their souls when they're turned. That's why no vampire is ever stupid enough to turn a Slayer; they know the first act would be her killing her sire."

"You knew that, and you still risked turning me?" Buffy wondered in confusion, but felt relieved to know that she wouldn't be going on any killing sprees.

Spike graced her with a sad smile. "I was willing to take that chance, I couldn't let you go. Why were you even here? After the night we had, I didn't expect you to come back."

"I felt guilty for what I said and came here to apologize, but now I wish I didn't. I guess it was my own fault for just barging in like I owned the place. I don't even want to know why you had a gun; I could guess what your intention was. I suppose I should say mission accomplished."

"No, don't say that, this is not what I bloody wanted. I never wanted you to be like me, you shouldn't have to be stuck in the dark," he explained.

"It doesn't matter now. I have to get home; you'll want to stay away from me for a while. I just need time to think, I'll come back when I'm ready. Whether I like it or not, you're my sire and I'm going to need you. As much as it pains me to admit, but I can't be around you right now."

He nodded in understanding. "I'll be here when you're ready."

Buffy nodded as well, heading up the ladder and out of the crypt, wondering what she would tell everyone when she returned home.

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><p>She knocked on the front door of her house, feeling like a stranger. It was hard to keep the tears in when her mother opened the door.<p>

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Did you forget your key? Is that blood on your shirt? Were you hurt during patrol? We've all been worried about you."

Buffy shook her head at all of the questions. "You'll have to invite me in." Joyce's face turned pale at that implication and Buffy felt her heart break, even if it was no longer beating. "Please, don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you."

Joyce could tell that she was sincere, no matter what; Buffy would always be her daughter. "You can come in."

Once Buffy crossed the threshold, she burst into tears and threw herself in her mother's arms. "I'm so sorry, Mommy. Don't hate me, please, don't hate me."

Joyce cried right along with her, holding her little girl tighter as she closed the door. "It's okay, honey, I could never hate you. Everything's going to be okay," she whispered, but at that point, she didn't even think Buffy heard her through the sobs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Buffy knew her friends would never understand, but all of the yelling was really starting to get to her new super hearing. She called a Scooby meeting at her house the next day, only to have all hell break loose the second she admitted to being a vampire. Whether her heart beat or not, it still broke to see Giles reaching for a stake, only to have him put it away the second her mother made her presence known. She yelled at them for a good ten minutes, and Buffy was relieved to see everyone starting to calm down.

"Okay, can I finally talk now? Yes, I'm a vampire, but I still have my soul. You guys don't have to worry about me going off on a killing rampage. I still feel like me, not much has to change," Buffy explained, repeating Spike's words.

"How did this happen?" Willow wondered, still in shock that her best friend was now one of the creatures she fought every night.

Buffy thought of what to tell them, without completely revealing the truth. "I was attacked on patrol and Spike found me bleeding to death. He saw that I didn't have much time left and decided to turn me. He knew I would probably kill him for it, but in his own way, he thought he was saving me."

"How can you be so calm about this?" Xander ranted. "Spike murdered you, and he just gets a free pass? I knew you should have dusted that bleached menace years ago."

"I'm still here, Xander, would you rather I be dead? I was upset and freaked at first, but I get why he did it. This is who I am now. I hope you guys can accept that because I would hate to lose your friendship, but if you can't, then I guess there's nothing left to say." They all walked out and Buffy turned teary eyes back on her mother. "Do you think they'll come around?"

Joyce nodded. "I believe they will, it just might take some time."

"I'm still freaked; I just didn't want them to know how much. Everything is different for me now, there's no chance of ever having a normal life. I know you wanted more for me and I'm so sorry that I can't give it to you."

"You're still my Buffy, nothing can ever change that," Joyce said, wrapping her arms around her distraught daughter once again.

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><p>It was a few days later when Buffy made her way to Spike's crypt, figuring she couldn't avoid him forever. She was assaulted by the stench of booze when she barged through the door, seeing the bottles and clutter that littered the ground. She headed down to the lower level, only to find Spike completely passed out.<p>

"My sire, I feel so proud." Instead of waking him up, she lay down next to him, taking in his disheveled appearance. "I don't know what you're so upset about. You finally bagged your third Slayer, you should be thrilled. Of course, I'm not sure what you hoped to accomplish by turning me. You're stuck with me now."

"I could think of worse fates," he mumbled, his eyes slowly opening to peer up at her. "You look good, pet."

"Sure, not bad for the recently undead."

Spike sat up, praying for the room to stop spinning. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon. Everything go well with your mates?"

She laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, it went great, I'll be lucky if they don't try to stake me in my sleep, but my mom is a hard ass. They'll find it's not so easy getting by the warden. I guess it could have gone worse. Have you just been here the last few days getting drunk?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time. Buffy, you have to know how bloody sorry I am for this. I'm sorry that I turned you into the one thing you hate the most, but I'm not sorry that you're still here. I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but I'm in love with you. Have been for a while now, I just couldn't let you die. Not when it was my own stupid fault."

As far as confessions went, that was the last thing she expected to hear. "I'm not sure how to take that. You love me, so that's why you decided to turn me? Look, I get it now, this may not be what I wanted, but I'm not ready to be free of this world yet. With Glory on the loose and everything with Dawn, I need to be here. At least this way, I'll be stronger."

"I've never turned anyone before, but I promise I'll be a good sire to you. I'll help you take on Glory, anything you want. I don't care if it takes a hundred years, I will find a way to make it up to you," Spike claimed.

Buffy gave that some thought. "A hundred years, I guess it's possible I could live that long now. I'll have to watch everyone I love move on and eventually die, while I'm stuck like this forever."

He took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "I know it's not much coming from me, but I'll be with you through everything. You'll never have to be alone."

She nodded. "I guess that's something, assuming we would even be able to survive each other for that long. You're bound to do something to piss me off."

Spike smiled. "I have no doubts about that, but hopefully it won't be anything that would make you want to stake me."

Buffy shook her head. "No chance of that happening now, I have a feeling we're going to need each other. I should be getting back. I need you in top form for whenever Glory makes her presence known again, so no more drinking. The upstairs looks like a tornado hit it. Stop feeling guilty about what happened, there's nothing that can be done about it. I'll just have to deal." With that said, her stomach growled loudly, she would have blushed if it was possible.

Spike stood up. "I'm such a wanker, of course you're hungry." He headed to his fridge and took out a packet of pig's blood, warming it up in the microwave and handing it over to her. "It's not the good stuff, but it'll have to do for now."

Buffy scrunched up her nose. "It's not like I have anything to compare it to." She bit into the blood bag, draining it down in two big gulps. It didn't taste as bad as she expected.

Spike got her another one until she was good and full. "I'll stock up on more tomorrow. We can keep some at your house if your mum doesn't mind; she used to have some on hand for me whenever I popped in for a visit."

"That would be good, exactly how many times have you been at the house when I wasn't there?"

He shrugged. "Not sure, maybe a few nights a week when you were out patrolling. She was always an easy person to talk to, didn't treat me like a freak. I think she knew of my feelings for you, but she never told me to stay away."

"Yeah, my mom's always liked you, I never understood that. She hated Angel," Buffy admitted.

"With good reason, if you ask me."

"Ugh, Angel, there is no way I can tell him about this. He'll stake you for sure."

Spike scoffed. "He can try, but as much as I hate to admit it, the wanker is family. He's bound to find out."

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," she told him. "I have to get going before the sun comes up, but I'll be back tonight. Your chip won't be an issue with me anymore; I was hoping we could spar. I've really missed fighting with you."

He grinned. "I've missed that as well, until tonight then. I promise to remain sober."

Buffy flashed him a grin of her own, making her way out of the crypt. Maybe this whole vampire thing won't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Gotcha, that makes three points for me."

Spike groaned as Buffy jumped off of him, running his fingers through his hair. "We haven't fought in a while, I'm a little rusty."

She rolled her eyes. "That is such a lame excuse; you still fight other vampires on patrol all the time. I should be no different."

"You're very different," he explained.

"You can't worry about hurting me, Spike; I'm a lot stronger now. I want a real sparring session, no holding anything back."

He grinned. "As you wish."

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><p>"Okay, I think it's time for a break," Buffy said as she limped over to one of the chairs in his crypt and took a seat.<p>

"You all right?" he wondered in concern, hoping that he wasn't too rough with her.

"Yep, that was great, but even I have my limits."

Spike took the seat next to her. "How's your mum and sis? They don't hate me for what I did, do they?"

Buffy could tell how genuinely worried he was at the thought of her family hating him; she had to wonder if that was why he hadn't stopped by in days. "No, it was hard for them at first, but they're grateful that I'm still here. You can come by if you want; I promise that my mom won't throw you out. She's thankful that you saved my life."

He scoffed. "And knowing that I'm also the one responsible for ending it? I find that very hard to believe."

"I didn't tell them that. I just said that you found me bleeding to death on patrol. You made a mistake, Spike; I don't want you to be punished for it."

Spike didn't know what to say, he never would have expected her to lie for him. "I love you," he blurted out, regretting it when he saw the embarrassed look on her face. "I don't expect anything in return, you've already given me more than I deserve. I just wanted you to know."

She smiled. "Thanks, a girl needs to hear that every now and then. I should get going; we'll do this again tomorrow."

He watched her walk away, wondering if he ruined things between them.

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><p>Buffy didn't tell Spike, but the pig's blood wasn't doing it for her anymore. She needed something stronger, but there was no way she would feed from anyone. Instead, she found herself outside of the hospital, thinking of how she would get human blood without being detected. A commotion came from the parking lot, since she was still the Slayer; she decided to check it out, not prepared for what she saw. Buffy gasped at the sight of Glory yelling at some scabby looking creature and before she knew it, the hell god turned into a man before her eyes. It looked like he worked at the hospital, once he took off back inside and left the scabby demon alone, Buffy finally remembered what the Council told her. This changed everything.<p>

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><p>"And you're sure of what you saw?"<p>

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I didn't just imagine it. She turned into a man; the Council said that Glory lives inside of a human host. Killing him is the only way to stop her."

Spike nodded. "Okay, problem solved then, I'll go to the hospital as soon as the sun sets and take care of it."

"You can't kill him, Spike."

He growled. "Are you willing to just let him live because you can't bear the thought of me killing again? I know you have a soul, but I would think your family would still come first. He may be human, but he's hardly innocent. Please, love, let me do this for you."

She shook her head. "I mean you can't kill him because of the chip. It goes crazy when you even point a fake weapon at someone, if you actually kill, your head could explode. I was an accident, you weren't really pointing the gun at me, but there's no telling what could happen if you intentionally kill someone. That's not a chance I'm willing to take. No, this is something I have to do."

"Taking a life changes you, even if it means saving the bloody world. I don't want that burden on your shoulders, love."

"I can handle it," Buffy explained. "If it means saving my sister, there's no choice to make. No one else knows about this, I can't go to Giles. He would never understand, I'll tell him once the threat is over. I still don't think he completely trusts me."

Before she could leave, Spike pulled her back by the arm, planting a passionate kiss on her mouth that would have left her breathless. "Just be careful," he told her.

Buffy was stunned, nodding when she came back to herself and making her way out of the crypt. It was time to end this.

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><p>She watched him talk to a distressed woman, giving her kind words in her time of grief. He was just an intern, but Buffy could tell how well liked he was around the hospital. She found out that his name was Ben, other than that, Buffy didn't want to know. She followed him to the parking lot during what she supposed was his break, knowing she had to do this before he reverted back to Glory.<p>

"Excuse me, are you Ben?"

The dark haired man turned to look at her. "Yes, who are you?"

She shrugged. "That's not important. I just want you to know that this isn't anything personal, but I don't have another choice." Buffy could see the confusion in his eyes and before he could respond, she snapped his neck, letting his body fall to the ground. She stepped back, getting out of there before anyone could spot her. Once she was safely in the cemetery, she finally let the tears fall.

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><p>"It's done."<p>

Spike glanced up from his book, seeing the distraught Slayer standing before him. It was obvious that she had been crying, he was afraid of that. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, pet."

She wiped her eyes, sitting down beside him. "Doesn't matter, it had to be done. Could I stay here tonight? I really don't think I'm up for going home right now."

He nodded. "Of course, you can stay for as long as you need to."

"This is the first time since being turned that I wished I didn't have a soul, it wouldn't hurt so much if I didn't."

"I think it would," he told her. "Soul or not, you're still Buffy. It's going to take some time, but your family is safe now. That's the only thing that matters."

Buffy knew he was right, but that still didn't make the ache any less.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"How could you be so callous about this? You killed a human, Buffy."

She rolled her eyes, really getting tired of the lectures at this point. "A human that was sharing a body with Glory, you know, the hellbitch who was keen on destroying my sister and the world? Excuse me for not feeling guilty about that, I did what I had to do."

Giles took his glasses off to clean them, being careful not to break the lens. "Even so, taking a life changes you. I was afraid something like this would happen. I've called Angel and he has agreed to come here to help you."

"You can't be serious, I don't need his help. Angel being here will only cause trouble, you don't even like him."

"He is still a vampire with a soul. As much as it pains me to admit, he is the only one who can relate to your situation," Giles stated.

Buffy shook her head. "It's not the same thing at all. Angel was cursed with his soul; he killed hundreds of people before that. I wasn't cursed and I've only killed one person in order to save the world, he doesn't know anything about my situation. Like it or not, Giles, but Spike is my sire. He's all the help I need; I knew it was a mistake to come here. The only reason I did is because Spike convinced me that I needed to. He thought you had a right to know, but I knew you wouldn't understand. You've hardly looked at me since I became a vampire; this is the first conversation we've had in weeks. I'm sorry that I can no longer be your perfect Slayer, but this is who I am now. You either take it or leave it." She walked out of the magic shop, not looking back once. There was only one place she wanted to be.

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><p>"I'm sorry, love. I wish I could tell you that he'll come around, but I don't want to lie to you."<p>

"It doesn't matter; he'll never accept me. I don't think I even care. God, I can't believe he had the nerve to call Angel. That's the last thing I need," she complained.

Spike agreed. "I'm not too thrilled about that myself. There's nothing we can do about it now, why don't you get some rest? The sun will be up soon."

Buffy nodded, about to head down to the lower level of his crypt, but turned back to him one more time. "Will you join me? I don't want to be alone right now."

He gulped, following her down the ladder and over to his bed. "You just make yourself comfortable; I can sleep in the chair."

"The bed is big enough for both of us. I promise not to bite if you won't."

Spike knew she was kidding, but that wasn't a promise he could make. "You know how I feel about you, Buffy. If I get in that bed with you, I can't guarantee any sleep will be had."

She gave a guilty expression. "Sorry, I didn't think about that. I know about your feelings and I wasn't trying to take advantage, it's just been a while since someone has held me."

He looked at her innocent face and couldn't turn her away. "I can do that." Spike got in beside her on the bed, wrapping his arms around her body. "No matter what happens, we'll get through this together. I won't let Angel take you away from me."

Buffy snuggled up closer to him, a smile on her face. "He never could."

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><p>Spike was having a wonderful dream; the Slayer was kissing his chest as he slept. A cold tongue swirled around his nipple, he never wanted to wake up, but couldn't resist opening his eyes. He saw that it wasn't a dream, but now had to wonder if Buffy was the one dreaming.<p>

"Slayer, do you realize what you're doing?"

Buffy giggled. "I have some idea. Did you know that you tend to sleep like the dead?" She frowned. "Let's pretend I didn't say that, but I know very well what I'm doing."

He pulled away, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Does this mean that you want us to be something more, or are you only using me because you feel that you don't have anyone else?"

She let out a sigh, knowing this wouldn't be an easy conversation. "I'm not using you, Spike. I can't promise that I'll ever come to love you the way you love me, but I would like to try. I'm willing to see where this can go if you are. I tried the whole having a human relationship thing and it didn't agree with me. Now that I'm no longer human, that offer is really off the table and I don't even care. I didn't want a human then and I don't want one now, I just want you."

"Well, that's more than I expected. I still can't bloody believe you're here with me at all. I killed you, Buffy, turned you into the thing you hate the most. You should be staking me."

Buffy shrugged. "I never was one for doing what I should, and I already told you to stop blaming yourself for that. We all make mistakes, I'm still here and that's all that matters. My friends may never understand, but my family does and they don't hate me for what I've become. They don't hate you, either, so stop beating yourself up over this. My mom asked me to invite you over for dinner this weekend; you can't avoid the house forever. Hell, you used to sneak in there and steal my clothes when no one was home during your whole stalking phase."

"Oh, you knew about that, did you?" he asked sheepishly.

She rolled her eyes. "I kind of figured Dawn wouldn't take my underwear; it was pretty obvious who the culprit was."

"Now I know I'm dreaming. You didn't stake me when you found out about the clothes stealing, you're not staking me now, I must have died and gone to Heaven."

"Nope, you're still very much awake and undead. I have to leave as soon as the sun sets, so we better not waste anymore time." With that said, she pushed him back down on the bed, getting on top of him.

Before Spike could say another word, her lips were snogging the unlife out of him. He wrapped his arms around her, giving back as good as he got. "Bloody hell, I've forgotten how wonderful you taste," Spike muttered once she pulled away.

"And this time we can't blame it on some stupid spell," she replied, kissing him again.

They kissed for what seemed like forever since breathing was no longer an issue for her, Spike helped her remove his jeans, along with her pants. She would be wearing skirts from now on if he had anything to say about it. He ripped her shirt off, kissing away her cry of protest that soon turned into a moan, delighted that she went without a bra. Spike took a firm nipple in his mouth, sucking on it gently before giving the same treatment to her other nipple. Neither could wait any longer for the main course, taking things slow would come later. He picked Buffy up and slid her right over his erection, both sighing in sweet relief. He felt tears in his eyes when her forehead pressed against his as she continued to bounce on his cock, taking him all the way in. Nothing had ever felt as good as this girl. "I love you," he said as he came, roaring out his release, Buffy following right behind him.

She lay by his side, staring up at the ceiling. "I want you to claim me."

Spike gazed at her in astonishment, that being the last thing he expected to hear. "Come again? How do you even know about claims?"

Buffy rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time. "I am still the Slayer, vampire or not. Don't get upset, but I was curious when I started dating Angel. I researched all I could find about vampire mating rituals. A claim is like a marriage, right?"

He nodded. "You could say that, but unlike human marriages, it doesn't end in divorce. When one vampire dies, the other will shortly follow because the pain would be agonizing."

"So, I take it you never claimed Drusilla?" she wondered.

"No, not that I didn't want to, but she wouldn't have it. She was all about her precious Angelus to even consider that, even when the bastard left us, she always knew he would come back to her. I was just her second choice, but now I'm glad for that. If we were claimed, I never would have been here with you. Is that why you want to do this? You're afraid of what will happen when Angel shows up?"

Buffy took in a deep, unneeded breath. "Not afraid, I just don't want him to think he has any say in my life anymore. I want him to see that I've completely moved on and that he can't ever get me back. Plus, I kind of like the idea of belonging to you."

"We would belong to each other, but I'm already yours no matter what. You don't need a claim to prove that. I just think you need more time to think about this, at least give it a week. If you still decide that this is something you want, I'm all for it."

Buffy knew she wouldn't be changing her mind, but decided that he was right. She wanted to see if there was more between them first, if she really could come to love him on her own, and she didn't want to factor Angel anywhere in her decision.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"See, I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

Spike wasn't easily convinced; he looked all around the house. "I'm still searching for any axes she may have."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a drama queen, she doesn't own an axe. Dinner went fine; no one treated you any differently. You worry too much."

When he was finally starting to believe that, Joyce joined them in the living room.

"I would like to speak to Spike in private for a moment."

Buffy nodded and was about to head upstairs, trying to get Spike to loosen the grip on her hand. He'd never seemed so terrified to be left alone with her mother before, but she knew nothing bad was going to happen.

Joyce gave Spike a look once Buffy was gone, smiling to try and reassure him. "You don't have to be scared, Buffy explained everything to us. I know you did what you had to do to keep her here, I'm very grateful for that. Other than the fangs and change in diet, she's still my daughter. I wanted to know more about this claiming thing, she told me about it the other day and I'm still a bit confused. What exactly does this mean for her?"

Spike was surprised that Buffy would tell her mother about that. "A claim is like a vampire marriage, one that doesn't end in divorce. When one vampire dies, the other would soon follow because they wouldn't be able to live without their mate, but you won't have to worry about that with Buffy. If I were to go, I know for a fact she wouldn't die right away. She's too strong for that, she may be depressed for a while, but you wouldn't lose her. If she were to go, I would be meeting the sunrise for the first time in over a hundred years. Unfortunately, I'm not as strong as your daughter."

"You really care for her that much?"

He nodded. "I love her; it's more than anything I've felt before. You may thank me for saving her life, but I was selfish. I didn't think about any of you when I made that decision, I was only thinking that I couldn't be without her. I knew she would probably end up hating me, but I didn't care. This world is a much better place with her in it. I never knew it would turn into this, she actually likes being around me now. She defended me to her watcher, which is something I never would have expected. I gave her more time to think about the claim, to see if it's something she really wants. If that is the case, I won't turn her away."

Joyce stood up, patting him on the arm. "Take it from me, when Buffy decides something, there's no changing her mind. Judging by how she was going on about this claim, it's definitely what she wants."

Spike smiled at that, relieved that Joyce seemed to be giving him her approval.

* * *

><p>Buffy groaned at the familiar presence heading to her house, it was now or never. When she got downstairs, she could tell that Spike felt him just as much, if the murderous expression on his face was anything to go by. She placed a calming hand on his arm.<p>

"Let me talk to him, I don't want him coming inside."

Spike agreed, even though he hated letting her do this on her own.

Buffy left the house and closed the door behind her, crossing her arms over her chest. "You didn't have to come here."

Angel looked at her sadly, shaking his head. "I almost didn't believe Giles when he told me. How did this happen? He wouldn't go into any details."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was badly hurt on patrol. Spike found me bleeding to death and decided to turn me, and before you go all mental on him, he did the only thing he could at the time. He knew I would still have my soul; I'm still here because of him. If you can't accept that, you know where to go. I've already gotten enough lectures from Giles and my so-called friends; I don't need them from you, too. My family still accepts me and right now, that's all I care about."

Angel knew there was no point in arguing with her, he reluctantly nodded. "I had a feeling Spike was involved. If I were in his shoes, I probably would have done the same thing, but I know how much you would have hated living as a vampire. I wanted so much more for you."

She laughed humorlessly. "And let me guess, you wanted me to have a normal life with a human man. I tried that and it didn't exactly agree with me. I'll never be normal; becoming a vampire didn't change that. You left me for all the wrong reasons, but now I'm glad you did. What I have with Spike, it's more freeing than anything I've known before. He doesn't treat me like I belong on some pedestal, or that I'm going to break. He loves the girl, the warrior, and now the vampire. It may not be love yet on my end, but it won't be long before that changes. He respects me and my family; you saw how devoted he was to Drusilla. You know more than anyone that when he loves someone, he loves with everything he has, even if she never returns his feelings. If you're here to try and turn me against him…"

Angel held up a hand, cutting her off. "I didn't come here for that. I just wanted to see how you were after Giles' frantic phone call, but I see you're doing well. It may not seem that way to you, but I did care for William once. I regret turning him into the monster I did, but what hasn't changed is his ability to love. Unlike most vampires, he never needed a soul for that. If he loves you, then I know it's real. I'm not here to interfere in your lives."

Buffy was stunned. "Wow, I guess LA really has changed you."

He laughed. "Cordelia also has a lot to do with it; she's definitely not the same woman she was when she lived here."

Buffy could sense that there was more to him and Cordelia than there was the last time she visited and it made her smile, she realized that she didn't feel any jealousy for him and the former cheerleader. "I'm happy for you. I know this seems kind of unrealistic, but I hope we can remain friends. I call you if we ever need any help here, and you can feel free to do the same. Like it or not, we're all family now."

Angel glanced over to the house, only to see Spike glaring at him through the window. "We'll always be friends, but I should go now." He gave her a hug, just because he wasn't going to kill Spike for taking what he used to think was his, didn't mean he still couldn't give him a show. With one final squeeze and a kiss to her cheek, he took off.

Buffy made her way back inside, rolling her eyes at Spike's pout. "Don't give me that, it could have gone a lot worse."

"What did the wanker want?"

"He just wanted to see if I was okay, I told him all about you and he actually didn't make a cow over it. I would say that was progress."

"Did you tell him about the claim?" he wondered.

Buffy scoffed. "We were actually having a civilized conversation; I think that's the last thing he needed to know. Does that mean you've decided to go through with it?"

Spike nodded. "Yes, if it's something you really want."

"I do, I really do," she said with a smile, attacking him in a hug. "You won't regret it."

He returned her embrace, kissing the top of her head. "I never had any doubts."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Buffy watched in amusement as Spike lit what seemed like a million candles in the lower level of his crypt.

"You do know we both have enhanced sight now, right? This is just a fire hazard."

"Sorry, old habits die hard. I just wanted to get some lighting in here."

"Are you nervous?" she wondered.

Spike turned to look at her, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm just worried that you might come to regret this."

Buffy shook her head, taking his hand in hers as she led him over to the bed. "There won't be any regrets, I want this. I want us to belong to each other fully, this way no one would even think of tearing us apart. Not that they could, but it doesn't hurt to have a safety net."

"You know how much I love you, Buffy, but you don't love me. What if you never do and you're stuck with me for all eternity? Most vampires who want out of a claim usually end up killing themselves; I couldn't bear the thought of that happening to you."

"Trust me, that won't be an issue. Yes, I may not be in love with you now, but it's only a matter of time until that changes. You're stuck with me, no matter what."

He kissed the hand that was still holding his, nodding after a moment. "I'm ready when you are."

Buffy lay down, gasping when her clothes were quickly ripped from her body. A horny, naked vampire now lying on top of her. He kissed her lips with all the passion he possessed, sliding his hands down her stomach and reaching her drenched center as he slipped two fingers inside.

"Already so wet for me," he whispered.

Buffy cried out as she came, feeling embarrassed for losing control so soon, but he had no complaints.

Spike pressed his forehead against hers, shutting his eyes in pure bliss. "Last chance to back out, sweetheart."

She shook her head, wrapping her arms tightly around him and forcing his cock inside her.

"Fuck," Spike cursed, slowly moving inside her slick pussy, and then picking up the pace. He licked his lips at the sight of her exposed neck, gently brushing her hair out of the way.

"Do it, I want you to."

That was all the incentive Spike needed as he struck her throat with his fangs, taking long pulls of her delicious blood. Nothing had ever tasted so good. He pulled his fangs out, closing the wound as he claimed, "mine."

Buffy took that as her cue and attacked his neck in the same fashion, drinking down his life force. "Yours, so yours, and you're mine for all eternity."

Spike felt tears in his eyes; she really had done her research. "I've always been yours, since the first moment I saw you."

It was then that Buffy felt it, all of his feelings and emotions bombarded her at once. She gasped, lying back in the bed as the room started to spin. She saw it all. Spike as a human getting rejected for his poetry, the love for his mother, Drusilla turning him and them wreaking havoc on anyone who crossed their paths. Angelus, Darla, Spike coming to Sunnydale and wanting a cure for Dru, seeing her dance at The Bronze. The look in his eyes, he wasn't a man who was there to kill the Slayer; he was a man who was finally finding a new purpose for living. She saw her constant rejection of him. Buffy cried for the man in the alley who she once said was beneath her, feeling her heart break realizing that another woman uttered those same words, which eventually lead to his death. She cried until she felt that there was nothing left, glancing up at Spike to see the look of absolute misery on his face.

"I should have warned you," he whispered, wiping his own eyes of the tears he shed. "I didn't want you to see that side of myself."

Buffy shook her head, taking him in her arms. "You're beautiful, I'm so sorry for how I treated you. What I said that night, I didn't mean it. I don't deserve your love."

"How can you say that? I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. I promise things are going to be different, Buffy. I've never claimed anyone, or even been a sire before, but I promise to be a good one for you. We're in this together now, the rest of the world be damned."

She laughed through her tears. "Damn right, and if my friends can't accept that, it's their loss. If they make me choose, they're going to be sadly disappointed."

Spike wiped her remaining tears away with his thumb, kissing her lips sweetly. "I've waited my whole life to find you. I thought what I had with Drusilla was love, but now I know it was just obligation. She took me out of a world that didn't appreciate me, gave me new meaning, but it pales in comparison to how I feel for you. You're my salvation, I know that now."

Buffy sighed in relief. "Glad to hear it, I really didn't want to compete with over a hundred years of devotion."

He kissed her again. "There's no bloody competition."

* * *

><p>"So, you're like married now? That is so beyond cool. I have to tell all my friends that my sister has the most amazing husband ever, they'll die of jealousy."<p>

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "You do that, just be sure to leave the vampire part out."

Dawn waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Obviously, so, are you and Spike going to live together now? Is he gonna move in here? If so, I'll need to stock up on earplugs."

"No, he's not moving in here, we haven't talked about the living arrangements yet. I may be a vampire now, but I still frown on having to live in a crypt, even though his is very cozy. I'm thinking maybe an apartment not far from here, but I'll have to see what he thinks about it first."

"Did I mention how cool this is? I'm really glad you decided to give him a chance."

Buffy smiled. "I'm really glad, too."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Buffy was out patrolling with Spike the next night, but something felt off. She sensed a familiar person nearby, turning just in time to catch a stake that almost pierced her heart. She glanced up at her assailant, placing a calming hand on her growling mate.

"Did you seriously try to stake me?"

Xander backed away at the murderous look on her face. "Giles said you killed someone, I didn't have a choice."

Buffy threw the stake to the ground. "Did he? And did he tell you exactly who I killed? That I killed the guy who was sharing a body with Glory and saved the world, did he mention that?"

Xander shook his head. "I may have left before he could get to that part. I don't know what's going on with you anymore. You're a vampire now; all you do is hang out with Spike while continuing to ignore us. For all I knew you were evil, a soul didn't make much of a difference with Angel and Captain Peroxide doesn't even have one. He could have had you kill people for him."

"You bloody stupid git! If I was going to turn the Slayer into a killer, you would have been the first one I'd have sent her after."

"You see, Buffy? He just said he would have let you kill me, what was I supposed to do?"

She clenched her fists at her side, trying to keep her temper in check. "You could have just talked to me. Newsflash, Xander, I'm not the one who has been avoiding you guys. You can't even stand to be near me. If you would have given me a chance, you would have seen that I'm not all that different. I still hang with my mom and Dawn, I go shopping, I slay annoying pests in the same places I always did. The only thing I don't have now is a heartbeat, but I guess that makes all the difference. You can deliver Giles a little message since I have no intention of popping by the Magic Box any time soon. Spike and I are claimed now, which means that if you kill him, you kill me, too. But I guess you just proved that you could care less about my life, I still think Giles would have a problem with what you tried to do."

Xander shook his head. "I still care; I didn't think the stake actually would have gotten you. I just wanted to get your attention."

"There are other ways of doing that. You can go now."

"Buffy…" he started, but was cut off by his now vamped out former friend.

"Get away from me, Xander. I'm starting to get hungry."

He took off that time without looking back once.

Spike took his distraught mate in his arms, seeing that she reverted back to her human mien. "He's a bloody idiot, love. If you want, I can beat him up for you. It'll give me a hell of a headache, but would still be more than worth it."

She laughed. "Thanks, but it's probably not a good idea. Now I wonder if Giles will turn on me even more after he finds out we're claimed, but I'm not worrying about that. If it wasn't for my mom and Dawn, I would have you take me far away from this town."

"We could take them with us."

Buffy gave that some thought, shaking her head. "Their lives are here, I could never ask that of them. Besides, we have forever. They unfortunately won't always be here, neither will my so-called friends. They'll all move on, get married, possibly have kids, and then they'll die. Maybe it's a good thing we're not in each other's lives anymore; at least I won't have to be there for it. But I have to be here for Dawn right now, I want to see her grow up into a beautiful woman."

He kissed the top of her head, nodding after a moment. "We can do whatever you want."

"Have you thought more about looking for an apartment?" she asked to change the subject.

"I have, and I think I know of the perfect one. It's actually an apartment building owned by demons, but they're peaceful. I know a bloke who lives there. It's only a few blocks from your house; we can look at it tomorrow if you want."

"That sounds good; I'm so ready to head back to your crypt now. My mom isn't expecting me tonight."

Spike liked the sound of that; he suddenly wanted to be elsewhere. He felt a chill just being in that cemetery, it was a feeling he hadn't known for a while and just couldn't shake the notion that they were being watched, but figured it was just the boy's presence earlier that made him feel on edge.

* * *

><p>"Okay, this place is totally awesome. How did I never know there was a demon building not far from my house?"<p>

Spike shrugged. "There was no point in telling you. I know you used to live in this whole black and white world, I didn't think you would have cared that there were peaceful demons in Sunnydale."

She felt offended at that. "I would have cared. I don't slay everything just because it looks evil. Oh God, do you think I might have slayed something harmless?"

He shook his head. "That's another reason why I didn't mention it. If something comes after you, you kill it. I don't want you getting careless thinking that demons can be harmless."

"Well, I definitely want this one. When can we move in?"

Spike laughed at her excitement. "As soon as I sign the lease, it's still treated like any human establishment."

"What about money for rent?" Buffy wondered. "I can't believe I never thought of that, neither of us have paying jobs."

"I have money, it'll do for now."

She raised her eyebrows in suspicion. "And just where did you get money?"

He rolled his eyes. "I haven't lived over a hundred years on nothing, it adds up."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "If that's the case, why were you always trying to con money out of us?"

Spike shrugged. "It was fun; I had to do something to cure the boredom this chip caused."

Buffy decided to let it go, things were different now. "Fine, I have to get home. I promised Mom I would stop by for dinner; it's nice to know that not much has changed where my family is concerned."

He smiled. "You do that; I'll just take care of everything here and meet up with you later."

She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then headed out of their soon to be apartment.

* * *

><p>Buffy did a quick patrol on her way home, but the cemetery seemed to be more dead than usual. A soft humming sound had her stopping in her tracks, wondering where the song was coming from. Before she even knew what happened, a tazer struck her on the side and caused her to hit the ground. Her vision was blurred, but she could make out the form of a dark figure before everything went black.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Spike knew something was wrong. He stopped by the house about an hour after Buffy left the apartment, but Joyce claimed that she never came home. He went back to the crypt in hopes that she was there, but found no trace of her. He did sense someone else, and it was a little too familiar for his liking. Spike should have known better than to ignore his instincts before.

"Who's there?" he asked, even though he knew very well who his visitor was.

"A happy memory, my Spike," Drusilla stated as she came out of the shadows, trailing a rose down her cheek.

"Not how I remember it, Dru, what the bloody hell are you doing here?"

She giggled. "Bad dog, you mustn't pretend that you're not thrilled to see me. That naughty girl will never be enough for you."

Spike clenched his fists at his side. "What did you do with her?"

"I needed to teach the bad Slayer a lesson, shame on you for bringing her into the family. She doesn't belong with us."

"No, you daft bint, she belongs with me. If you've done anything to her, I will kill you in very painful ways. Where the fuck is she?"

Drusilla whimpered. "My poor William, you're so lost, but we will be together again."

Spike didn't know what she was talking about, but he didn't have time to respond as Drusilla struck him with a cattle prod. The last thing he heard was her insane laughter before everything went dark.

* * *

><p>He awoke to find that he was tied to a pillar, a glance around at his surroundings revealed that he was at the mansion that Angelus used to live in. It was a place he never cared to see again. Spike tried to pull at the rope, but it wouldn't budge. He heard a moaning sound and saw that Buffy was chained up across from him, she was slowly regaining consciousness.<p>

"Buffy, baby, are you all right?"

Once she gained focus, she panicked at the realization that she couldn't move. "What's going on?"

"It's Drusilla; she decided to pay us both a visit. Did she hurt you?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not yet, but I doubt she brought me here to make friends."

"It's okay, I'll get us both out of here," Spike reassured her, not sure how he intended to do that.

"Good, my children are awake. Welcome to the family, my pet," Drusilla purred as she caressed Buffy's cheek, then struck her across the face with her long nails.

"You fucking bitch, don't you dare touch her!" Spike yelled, it broke his heart to see Buffy in pain and knowing that he could do nothing about it. Because of the claim, her pain quickly became his.

Drusilla glared at him. "Shush, you will have your chance. I wish to play with the girl first." She pulled out the stake that Buffy had in her pocket, causing the blonde's eyes to widen. "This weapon has caused my kind nothing but agony, yet you have always gotten enjoyment out of it. The tables have turned now, my sweet."

Buffy cried out when the stake was impaled in her chest, tears stinging her eyes as she heard the screams of her mate in the background. "We're claimed now," she got out through the blood coating her mouth. "If you kill me, you kill him."

"Yes, that is a problem. No worries, precious, I have no intention of killing you. I just want him to watch as I torture you. He always did love when Angelus would hurt me. Didn't you, Spike?"

"You really are a crazy bitch. It killed me when Angelus would harm you. I got beat within an inch of my unlife when I tried to stop him that one time, do you remember that? I always tried to stop him. You don't have to do this, Dru. You left me; I had every right to move on. Please, just let her go. You can do whatever you want to me, I would probably deserve it, but don't hurt her. I'm begging you," he pleaded, hating that it had to come to that.

She grinned. "Such pretty words, but the game has only just begun."

Buffy started to feel herself slip back into unconsciousness when Drusilla pushed the stake further into her chest, only an inch away from her heart. She heard a sudden commotion going on around her, but was too out of it to do anything. Before she knew it, she felt herself being unchained and lowered to the ground, wincing when the stake was yanked from her chest. Buffy sighed in relief when an arm was thrust against her lips; her fangs came forth as she took the sweet blood into her mouth. Sire blood, and once she was finally starting to heal, she saw that Drusilla was being held by Xander and Willow, with Giles aiming a crossbow at her. "What happened?"

Spike gave her a concerned look, brushing the hair out of her face. "Your mates showed up just in time. How did you know where we were, Rupes?"

"Joyce called me when you never returned after going to look for Buffy; I paid a visit to that Willy bloke and found out that Drusilla was in town. When it was clear she wasn't at your crypt, I took a guess that she might have come back here."

Buffy smiled as Spike helped her up, keeping one arm securely around her. "Thank you, it's a good thing you guys showed up when you did. What are we going to do with her?" Buffy knew what she wanted to do, but had a feeling Spike wouldn't allow it. No matter how miserable she made him in the past, Drusilla was still his sire.

Spike guided Buffy over to the group, glad when Giles took a hold of her. It seemed her friends were starting to come around. "I'll handle her." He moved closer to his former love, shaking his head in disappointment. "You shouldn't have come back here, Dru."

She pouted. "It's not nice to change the rules, you spoil all my fun."

"Sorry, but this was never a game to me. You don't leave me with much choice." He still had the stake clutched in his hand that he pulled out of Buffy and in one swift move, buried the weapon in her heart, watching as she exploded in a cloud of dust. Spike left the mansion then, not bothering to check if anyone was following him. Buffy joined him a moment later; he noticed that her mates were already heading out of the cemetery, leaving them to their privacy.

"You didn't have to do that. I know how much she meant to you."

He shook his head, giving her a sad smile. "That's not an issue anymore; I couldn't let her walk after what she did to you. It's for the best."

Buffy nodded in understanding. "Well, if it helps any, Giles told me that he was wrong about you. I wouldn't exactly say he gave his blessing for us being together, but it's a start. Xander and Willow even apologized for their behavior."

"I guess some good did come out of this. Come on; let's go tell your mum that we're still alive."

Buffy smiled when he put his arm around her, knowing that everything would be okay as long as Spike was by her side.


End file.
